Hidden Hearts
by StarlitSuccubus
Summary: Ruby is a witch who has successfully escaped the Night World, or so she thinks. Can she protect her soulmate Tyler, as well as humanity in general, from the cruelty of the new Night World regime? Especially if her own kin is the enemy?


**A/N: **I do not own anything from the Night World series!

**Chapter 1**

Ruby blew gently on her steaming raspberry tea before taking a sip. She stole a quick glance at the hazel-eyed boy sitting across from her who was heavily engrossed in a chemistry textbook. Her eyes quickly returned to her tea to avoid detection.

"Seriously, how many tests can that jerk Mr. Watson give in a year? I feel like I'm forever reading this garbage," Tyler said in disgust, and dropped the book loudly on the table. He ran his hand through his thick brown hair. It was the kind that always had a messy look to it, but was still attractive.

"Honestly, I don't know. Those tests can be used as torture devices from what I hear," Ruby said with a giggle, and continued sipping on her tea and avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah, well consider yourself lucky that you don't have to take him until next year."

_Next year _Ruby thought. _Will I even make it that long without being caught? _She shook the thought out of her head, and noticed Tyler's eyes on her. Her heart began to beat against her chest, and she could feel a furious blush coming on. Wanting to avoid further embarrassment, Ruby quickly snatched the chemistry textbook and buried her face in it.

"Wow, this stuff is boring," she said.

"You have the most interesting eyes I have ever seen, you know that?"

Ruby's heart just about stopped, and she knew for sure that her face must have been as red as the gemstone she was named after.

"Thank you Tyler," Ruby said softly, almost fumbling the words.

"I mean it. I have never seen such a unique color before, they're practically indigo."

Ruby let out a sigh to calm her breathing. _There isn't anything to be afraid of, he's complimenting you. He could be your soul mate, you know. _

She put the book down and smile sheepishly. " I really appreciate that." Boy, was that the truth. She never felt this strongly about a guy before, and most of the ones in the Night World were-

No, she wasn't going there. She never wanted to think of that horrid society and their control ever again. This was a new life, _her _life. _No one _was going to tell her differently.

"Hey, did you want to go to The Beat tonight?" Tyler asked, interrupting her racing thoughts. The noisy bookstore they were studying in came back to focus.

"Um, yeah, definitely."

The Beat was a café that frequently held poetry readings, and was where Ruby and Tyler met for the first time two weeks after she came to Manhattan. She loved how small and rustic the place looked, and the free-spirit atmosphere. She couldn't believe that it had been three months since she had left home, left everything she knew, behind. Sure, she missed her parents, even Amethyst. Her sister may have been a Separatist had a twisted view on humans, but Ruby couldn't help but still love her. Separatists were a faction that believed Supernatural beings and humans could not coexist, and that they were superior. There were even rumors that some took their views a step further and wanted to enslave or eradicate humans.

_That would explain all of the extreme changes in Night World law lately, especially if the Separatists were gaining momentum. _

Now matter how hard she tried, Ruby couldn't stop thinking of the Night World, which wasn't an actual place, but a society of paranormal creatures that were _everywhere. _Life in Night World communities, which were set up for the purpose of being separated from humans, had become increasingly unbearable in the past year. Her parents liked it there because they were witches, and also hated humans. Ruby's family wasn't as infamous as the Redferns or the Harmens, but they were still well-respected. The Night World beings were still forbidden from falling in love with humans or telling them about the Night World, and the penalty was still death. However, the law to try to prevent this problem was becoming way out of control in Ruby's opinion. For one, in Night World communities, no one was ever allowed to leave. There were guarded gates, and no contact with the human world was permitted. Anyone committing something considered "human" or trying to escape was punished severely or killed. Night Worlders that were already living among humans had serious tabs kept on them, and had to register with the higher ups. Anyone breaking any law was quickly executed. A special squad, called the "Chasers," were an elite team that was extensively trained to track down fugitives and renegades.

And then there was arranged marriage. The practice was now heavily pushed upon the Night World population as an answer to the recent countless incidents of supernatural creatures finding human soul mates. Ruby believed, like others, that human soul mates were a sign of future peace and quality. She didn't see humans as "vermin," and Tyler was the biggest example. She knew she was in love with him, and not Jameson Kline. That was the brutish vampire her parents were pushing for her to marry. And that was the final straw that caused her to run away forever.

"I'm going to get a magazine," Ruby said, excusing herself from the table. She walked over to the vast racks of magazines, and picked up a copy of _Rolling Stone. _She absent-mindedly flipped through the pages, but Tyler danced in her head. She loved the way his hair fell, the way his eyes look, how his smile was a little crooked. She prayed that they wouldn't get caught, because if she did, she knew what it meant. Death, for both of them. She heard a sharp sound through her acute hearing, but none of the humans reacted to it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she began to feel panic. Someone, or something, was here. She crept over to the next aisle, and peaked her head through. There were two humans reading magazines, but they were as still as statues. Ruby gasped in shock, and turned around to run. Before she knew what hit her, she was lifted up and thrown into a bookcase. There was the sound of three people laughing, but the rest of the shop was dead silent. She groaned in pain, but was not able to lift herself up.

"Well, looks like we finally caught up to you Goldilocks," the leader of them sneered.

They all joined in a chorus of laughter again. Ruby turned to face her attackers, and recognized them immediately. Hyde (the leader), who was the tallest of the group and had black hair and yellow reptilian eyes; Nyx who had an athletic build and violet eyes, and Rayven who was stocky with platinum hair and silver eyes.

"So, do you want to be exterminated like the vermin you associate with?" Nyx said with contempt.

"Or maybe we should catch us that lovely rodent you were sitting with?" Rayven taunted.

_No, not Tyler! They'll kill him if they bring him back with us! _

"He's no one, just a friend." Ruby steadied herself against the bookcase, and slowly stood up.

"We'll believe that story if you surrender peacefully, and tell us where Luna St. Austin is," Hyde demanded.

_Oh no, I can't turn in Luna!_

Luna was Ruby's twenty-three year old cousin that the Night World was always trying to arrest. She was born with the ability to "conceal" her witch powers, and so they were not able to track her by magic. The elders constantly referred to this as a "defect" and "shameful," but was quite the gift if you were a runaway. Luna helped Ruby escaped, as well as any other being that wanted out as well. Ruby was currently living with Luna in her apartment, and always admired how generous she was.

Ruby had made her decision right there, she wasn't going to give up Luna. She had to fight.


End file.
